Allergies Often Misdiagnosed

A new study finds that almost two-thirds of those who take allergy drugs don't need them. Dr. Sheryl Szeinbach of Ohio State University studied 265 patients taking allergy medications. The study found that 65 percent did not actually suffer from allergies. The consequences are that people who are misdiagnosed can waste as much as $80 a month for the prescription drugs, taking medicines they don't need. Additionally, side effects from these medications can also be a factor while the medications these people are taking fail to relieve the real symptoms.

Dr. Beth Corn, an allergist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York says, "It's very obvious to anyone who practices in the field of allergy that there are many patients who walk around who are misdiagnosed." Dr. Corn tries to explain, "There's also an incredible influence for marketing where patients will watch television and they'll see commercials or they'll be on a bus and they'll see ads for medications and they want these medications."